CARDIFF Blues coach Dai Young is the man to lift Leigh Halfpenny’s spirits following his early return from South Africa.

Aberdare’s Young, the only British Lion to play in three consecutive decades, is offering the injured 20-year-old wing words of comfort.

The Blues director of rugby has told him he could go on another three Lions tours.

Twelve years separated Young’s first and last Lions experiences – he won three Test caps on the victorious 1989 expedition to Australia and then toured with Graham Henry’s troops to the same destination in 2001.

“He’ll be extremely down and understandably so,” said Young..

“But he should console himself with the fact that he did at least get one game under his belt.

“Nobody will ever be able to take that away from him, even though I know he would have liked more.”

The British Lions take on South Africa in Durban in the First Test this Saturday.